In Downeast Maine, tourism is in full swing with crowded shops and longer wait times. While businesses are reaping the benefits of more clients fleeing to sparsely populated areas like the Bold Coast in the wake of COVID 19, there is a pervasive need for more employees to meet newly minted demands. Here's how businesses from Machias to Eastport are faring in 2021's mid COVID-19 tourist season.
      Beth Foss, manager at the Bluebird Ranch Family Restaurant in Machias, has been in the business of food her whole life. "My grandmother started this business," she says, from her vantage point at the bar just outside the kitchen, donning an apron. This tourism season, however, represents an unprecedented new normal. Restaurants all over the Bold Coast, from Machias to Eastport, are struggling due to staffing shortages.
      Foss's family has owned the restaurant since they opened doors more than three decades ago. Her mother slips her a book across the bar. "Recipes," she says of the binder. "We use some family recipes," Foss says, before returning to the kitchen to meet the needs of Friday lunch rush, clutching the book in her arms.
      Foss's situation isn't unique. Many business owners and managers across Washington County are finding themselves doing tasks, like cooking, that would normally fall to hourly employees. The lack of skilled workers to fill important roles has managers working overtime and service staff cross-training to reduce gaps in service.
      The seasonality of young workers in Maine is another hurdle that owners face. This year, with increased demand from diners, Helen's Restaurant in Machias may be decreasing its operational capacity by closing one of its dining rooms to accommodate the staffing shortage.
      Owner Julie Barker says even though they've been "very busy from the get go," she fears part of the dining room may have to be closed permanently, leaving a service gap. "So instead of waiting 30 or 45 minutes, [customers] will be waiting two hours or going somewhere else," she laments.
      Barker says, "I have 17 high school and college students [employees] leaving in the next two weeks." That makes up about one third of her staff. "We have just over 50 workers on payroll," she says. She is hiring for all roles. "Everything. Just everything," she says.
      Sharon Kiley Mack, executive director of Machias Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, expresses ways anyone can support the community of coastal Maine hospitality and retail businesses that need skilled employees. She says, "A good way to do that would be to host, sponsor and support job fairs." She adds that joining chambers like Machias Bay can give businesses more exposure by posting listings and offering job-seeking services to assist businesses with finding a good match.
      Mack recalls last tourism season, stating, "[It] was the more difficult year; there was such uncertainty and travel and gatherings were deeply restricted."
      The outcome of a less restricted tourism season this year is something that all business owners echoed they were not able to anticipate. "I think things are just different now," Foss says of Bluebird's later hours and adjusted traffic patterns.
      The difference this season is the vaccine. People are fleeing big cities where vaccination rates are lower. "I'm meeting lots of new faces," Barker says, glancing around her packed dining room.
      Meanwhile, in historic downtown Eastport, retail stores are seeing big returns. A cashier at Raye's Mustard Gift Shop says she and another associate working that day were both hired within the last few weeks to meet the rising demands of mid COVID consumerism. They say they are seeing an influx of "local tourists," too, from surrounding areas like Machias and Calais who swing through to offer their support.
      While Eastport Windjammers couldn't be reached for comment, the noon ferry to Lubec saw light traffic on a Saturday early afternoon. Signs hanging in restaurant windows suggest the later dining room opening hours might be to blame. Restaurants and breweries are pivotal in establishing the pace of visitor traffic at places like Raye's gift shop and Eastport Windjammers. And a thriving tourist economy hinges on the availability of hospitality workers.
      At the WaCo Diner in Eastport, server Rich Fulghum says of the conundrum, "It's hard to find good cooks." While some restaurants have mentioned cross training employees, he thinks that's a challenge when it comes to putting front of house workers, like servers, bussers and hosts, in the back of the house. "It's two different worlds," he explains. He believes there is an intimidation factor. "It's one thing to be a server for a season, decide it's not for you and leave," Fulghum says, "but it's another thing to mess up someone's eggs in the process of figuring it out."
      Another server, Mary Bartlett, says the WaCo is lucky because of support from the owner's family who share some of the workload. "They came here and jumped right in to help," she says. It's a different story at some neighboring locations. "At Old Sow [Grill] the owner is the only cook," she adds, and the current situation is clearly concerning to her. But the conversation ends quickly and positively. "We're hanging in there," Bartlett says with a friendly smile as she leaves to take care of her full seating area.
      In the end, it's not mask mandates, regulations nor the politics of COVID 19 that are troubling the business owners and their employees. The Bluebird's Foss says, "If they tell us to put on masks tomorrow, we'll be here with masks on. It's really not a big deal. It protects everyone; they're doing it for the greater good."
      The most troubling factor is the human cost of adjusting in the face of uncertainty and new normals - the unavoidable restructuring of dining times and forming new traffic patterns, like closed for breakfast and over capacity at lunch.
      Barker of Helen's Restaurant says, "There's no time to go to the chamber [for work search help] when you're working 60 to 80 hours a week." And that's a poignant way to sum up a big issue this tourism season.
      Every business owner interviewed made pleas to the public to apply for the jobs that are readily available. "We've tried incentives," Foss says. "Sign-on bonuses, hourly." Barker says likewise. "We give everyone who gets hired on a dollar hourly bonus when they stay with us [for a period of time]," she says.
      Restaurant owners and chamber executives agree. It will take innovative solutions and community effort to lift up these businesses.
     However, it's not all doom and gloom for businesses adjusting to employee shortages. Mack states, "Many of our business members are reporting great sales, although the lack of employees has stunted that. Many of the businesses have amended their hours to reflect their inability to hire workers." She adds, "Luckily, I'm hearing from our service industry members that those visiting and patronizing are being very patient and understanding about lines, wait times, etc."